The breakfast meal passes rather quietly, odd small talk is scattered awkwardly through the room, the Prince sat with his head towards his food, clearly in no mood to raise his fathers ire, while his sister cast worried looks to both men and ate silently aside the few times conversation turned to her and her day. She, it seemed, had an easier day of it, she would be practicing her sewing and embroidery, followed by riding practice and a walk around the gardens. No doubt there was more she was not telling them about for Evangeline was no silly girl, she had a clever and quick mind and someone had educated her that way, though the King was happy to turn a blind eye to it as long as she was respectful and Alessandro found it wonderfully entertaining on the rare occasion they had a battle of wits. 

Talk inevitably came around to his day, where his father reminded him of his duties to his family and the kingdom with the stern gruffness the head of guards would use on his subordinates. "You will come straight back here after the ceremony in town and get scrubbed and dressed properly to greet the Lady Melissandra, she's traveled a long way to see a noble prince and you shan't let her down. The Steward has planned your time together precisely. You will take her for a walk of the gardens, the roses are especially good this year, if there is a nip in the air you will hand her your coat, you will laugh and joke with her, don't forget how important it is for our relations with her father that you don't mess this up."
"Yes Father." Alessandro uttered into his bowl of fruit and oats, he did so loathe the idea of match making but it was true the Kingdom had been so unstable since the death of his brother, their allies were uncertain, their enemies were bold and so keeping the families united was the best way forward, it was just a shame it had to be through his eventual marriage that the peace would be assured. Melissandra, Clara, Jezabelle and Isla, all wonderful women from the prominent houses and neighboring kingdoms that bordered their lands, all fabled for their beauty and their desire to be a real Princess. No matter which he chose he had to refuse three and he honestly wasn't sure he'd like any of them. 

The King was quiet a moment, expecting his son's usual fiery temper to combat his demands and looked almost, concerned, a moment before shaking his head and clocking Rei, "What is [b]he[/b] doing here again?"
"He's my guard, he'd be rather poor at doing his job if he couldn't see me...sire."
"Well...as long as he isn't distracting you from your work. If I think for one moment he's more hassle than he's worth he's out on his ear." Alessandro gripped his napkin beneath the table a little tighter and forcefully bit his own lip out of the line of sight of his father to bite back his anger. When the snarky first comments died on his tongue and he could trust himself to speak he took a refreshing glance at Avangeline who offered a soft, grateful smile before going back ot her food and he finally answered, "Of course Father, Rei has already been indispensable to me. He shan't let you down."

The rest of breakfast passed quietly and only once the King had left were the children allowed to stand and leave, Avangeline danced around the table to her brothers side and wrapped her arms about his middle in a tight hug, "That was great, you did so great Alessandro." She chirped in the kind of happy tone one would expect of a sister but had been strangely absent only the night before. Leaning away she took his hands and gave them a squeeze, leaning up and kissing his cheek with a girlish giggle before she and her hand maiden walked out of the room chatting, gossiping and giggling to themselves already. Alessandro was left blinking, only releasing his death grip on the serviette when his sister had left him stunned. "I swear Rei...I will never, no matter how long I live, understand women." 

Shaking his head he dropped the cloth aside and looked to his bodyguard, "We'll need to ride into town but today we take the carriage, it looks more official and it carries the things we need to take with us easier, are you going to be okay with that? It's neither Beast or my Lady pulling but a coachmen's horse."